The Mummy Star Annabelle Wallis Isn't Another Damsel in Distress

You may recognize Annabelle Wallis from Peaky Blinders, a show that helped the British actress gain more notoriety, or you may know her from Guy Richie's recent film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. If you aren't familiar with Wallis's work, you will be soon. The actress stars opposite Tom Cruise in The Mummy, out Friday, as a kick-ass archeologist named Jenny Halsey. The film, which is a reboot of the franchise and the first in Universal's new Dark Universe series, takes the two actors to some crazy places as they battle an ancient evil—including into zero gravity.

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Wallis, who grew up between Portugal and England, appreciated being given a strong female role, particularly in a mainstream Hollywood action flick. She's open to the roles that come her way, but she hopes to represent women onscreen positively and to work with filmmakers, like The Mummy director Alex Kurtzman, who want the same. We spoke with Wallis in London during a press run for the film about what it was like working with Cruise, how she dealt with the stunts and what's next in her career.

The casting process for the film was surprisingly easy.

I talked to them about a year before the whole thing came together and they told me about the Dark Universe and they said they were starting with The Mummy and they said it was set in London. I thought, "Well, there must be a female in there somewhere." Once Tom got involved there was a shortlist to play this archeologist, and then it was just me. I had to go and meet with them, and instantly Tom and I had this amazing rapport. We bring out this weird, quirky side in each other that the studio loved. That was it. It was one of those fluke moments where everything aligns and you walk in and you're the girl. There's something about you that's her. So it was just luck, really.

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Her character, Jenny, is an example of the sort of female characters films audiences look for now.

I feel so proud about being part of this movie and the main reason is really because of the way that they celebrate the females. It's reflective of the time that we're in where audiences are thirsty for female protagonists and these incredible anti-heroes. That you can play a woman as fierce and loving and sexual and strong and intelligent and just well-rounded. I think it's nice that the studio, Alex, and Tom were aware of this global conversation and this global shift, and they were like, "You know what? In order to make this a modern classic we have to put modern views into our movie." They're all people who celebrate women the right way, and it was very awesome. They were very supportive like that.

Jenny doesn't fall into any stereotypes or clichés—or wear high heels.

It was interesting because there have been so many movies—not to name names—where there are actors running around in high heels. It's so outdated for me. I'm a tomboy naturally; I grew up hanging up with boys. I'm cast generally now with a bunch of boys. I really hold my own. There's something about using your costume as a tool to create authenticity—but also to be real.

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There are logical things to think about with costume. We didn't want her to become this sexy archeologist in her little costume. I wanted to move away from any preconceived idea of what anyone's expecting her to be. I wanted her to be real and to be like the women that I know. I wanted her clothing not to define who she is. They're practical. And there's something amazing that happens when you don't have to think about how you look so much. It creates an ease and you remove a vanity about thinking about how you look and you just focus on the character. It's so freeing.

Universal Pictures

Wallis is now semi-expert in ancient Egypt and archeology.

I was really adamant to learn. There's so much jargon in the beginning of the film when she sees the tomb, so I was like, "I have to know what I'm talking about." And then I got so obsessed with the different dynasties and the burial rituals. An archeologist is someone who unearths stories and mystery. These are the storytellers at the core of what we do. We write about their findings. I loved this whole idea of Jenny being so immersed in that world and how that led her to these monsters. We worked with an Egyptologist at the Natural History Museum. We got to look through all their archives. It was so fun. You can't help but absorb everything. It's not school and it's not in a textbook—you're seeing things and getting to talk to people who've seen these things.

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She also did all of her own stunts, including one in zero gravity.

We went up in a plane to 20,000 feet, and then we turned the nose vertically, like a rocket. Then you go up to 40,000 feet and do this parabolic arc. In that arc you are weightless. We did it 64 times. 64 times! It's called the "Vomit Comet" for a reason. Not everyone gets sick, but it definitely messes with your inner ear and your balance. Imagine the worst turbulence of your life. A lot of our crew were sick while we were doing the scene. So the thrill of feeling weightless is amazing, but once you've done it a few times it loses its excitement. Once we got to 30, we were like, "Okay…" It's an experience I'll never forget. And that's a stunt I did with Tom that he'd never done before. It was exciting and scary because I didn't know how it was going to. It just adds so much to our film and makes for an incredible, stylistically beautiful sequence, and it really set the tone of the action throughout.

Universal Pictures

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Making a massive action blockbuster like The Mummy feels like a massive achievement for the actress, who learned a lot about herself making it.

I realized I have bravery. That's a nice feeling. When faced with something, you sink or you swim—and I feel like I swam. I took it head on. I was adamant that whatever Tom could do, I could do. I wanted to stretch myself in that space. I wanted to challenge myself daily and try a new medium for me and see if I could do it. I think I'm left with a feeling of pride. I feel brave. It's the best feeling. It'll stay with me forever.

No one knows whether their characters will appear in future Dark Universe films, although Wallis would like Jenny to return.

It's kept very open. There are a lot of questions left unanswered. We shall wait and see. I would love to be! I could come back as the Hunchback of Notre Dame and give him an East End accent.

Next up, Wallis will star opposite Jeremy Renner and Ed Helms in Tag.

I'm the female lead in this comedy. Again, a new space. I haven't done that before in a leading role like this. I felt like it's something I love. I love comedy and I always wanted to go that way, but I felt so passionate about drama. Now, in this environment, with all these amazing comedians, I think it's a safe way to go into that world. [My] Jake Johnson is in it, too, and that's awesome. We're going to have a great summer doing that. And as much as I like my serious, prestige projects—something I can sink my teeth into in a dramatic way—I also want to do these big, fun movies. Part of me is so much that. I want to stretch myself as much as I can whilst I can, just work and try all different things and have a good time.